American Government and Politics: Deliberation, Democracy, and Citizenship

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Chapter Four E Pluribus Unum American
Citizenship

• American Government and Politics Deliberation,
  Democracy, and Citizenship

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Chapter Four Learning Objectives

• Describe the role of ideas and beliefs in what it
  means to be an American citizen
• Explain how immigration policy has changed over
  time and the controversies over assimilation that
  larger-scale immigration has spawned

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Chapter Four Learning Objectives

• Explain how controversies over citizenship
  affected free blacks before the Civil War and
  Native Americans
• Identify the requirements that Congress has
  imposed for the naturalization of foreigners

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Chapter Four Learning Objectives

• Describe the rights, privileges, and
  responsibilities of U.S. citizenship

Steve Helber/AP Photo
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E Pluribus Unum From Many, One

• Do you believe the ideas behind From Many,
  One have changed to reflect changes in America
  since the founding?

Bettmann/CORBIS
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E Pluribus Unum Early Americans

• Characteristics of early America
• Vast, fertile land
• Common ancestry and religious background
• Shared language, customs, and manners
• Commitment to shared political beliefs

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E Pluribus Unum Modern Americans

• Characteristics of modern America
• Diverse ethnic background and origin
• Multiple languages spoken, English dominates
• Diversity in religion, Christianity most
  prevalent
• Continued commitment to shared political beliefs

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Immigration By the Numbers
Source Immigration and Naturalization Service,
Immigrants, Fiscal Year 2000, Table 1,
at www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/statistics/
IMM00yrbk/IMM2000list.htm, accessed July 28, 2002.
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Immigration Issues at the Founding

• America restrict access or open for all?
• Madison prosperity linked to open immigration
• Franklin concerned about the effects of
  immigration in American communities
• Jefferson unrestricted immigration may undermine
  important American political values

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Immigration Unrestricted Access

• Why unrestricted immigration until 1875?
• More land and jobs than residents
• Large influx of European immigrants
• Nativism movement and Know Nothing Party emerged
  in the 1840s and 1850s

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Immigration Restricted Access
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Immigration Restricted Access

• What do you believe were reasons why our
  political leaders wanted to restrict immigration
  beginning in the late 18th century?
• Do you believe restricting immigration reflects
  the principles upon which our country was
  founded?

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Immigration Modern Issues

• Features of modern immigration
• More immigration from Asia than ever before
• National origin quotas abolished in 1960s
• Recent decrease in number of refugees

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Immigration Modern Issues

• Do you believe there are problems with legal
  immigration? If so, what?
• Do you believe there are problems with illegal
  immigration? If so, what

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Immigration Modern Issues

• Issues related to illegal immigration
• As Table 4-4 demonstrates, illegal immigration
  occurs along all borders, although primarily
  along the Southern border
• How should the U.S. work to strengthen our
  borders and relationship with our neighboring
  countries to solve the problems of illegal
  immigration?

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Table 4-4
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Immigration Modern Issues

• Legal solutions to illegal immigration
• Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
• Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
  Responsibility Act of 1996
• REAL ID Act of 2005
• Secure Fence Act of 2006

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Early Citizenship Controversies

• As the Constitution did not clearly define
  citizenship in the early years of our country,
  controversies emerged over the citizenship status
  of two groups
• 1. Free blacks before the Civil War
• 2. Native Americans

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Early Citizenship Controversies

• Free blacks before the Civil War
• How was citizenship for free blacks defined
  through the following actions of government?
• Missouri Compromise (1820)
• Seamens protection certificates
• Scott v. Sanford (1857)

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Early Citizenship Controversies

• Native Americans
• Treatment by British was based on situation
• The national government has always had the power
  to manage all affairs with the Indians

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Early Citizenship Controversies

• What was the legal status of Native American
  tribes?
• Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)
• Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
• Dawes Severalty Act (1887)
• Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock (1903)
• Indian Citizenship Act (1924)

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Acquiring American Citizenship

• There are two ways to become an American citizen
• Through laws or treaties
• Through naturalization

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Acquiring American Citizenship

• Citizenship through laws or treaties
• Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803)
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
• Practice has been upheld by the Supreme Court

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Acquiring American Citizenship

• Citizenship through naturalization
• Naturalization Act of 1790 first law
• Some changes to requirements since 1795
• -Eliminated race as a restriction
• -Language restrictions changed
• -Citizenship oath created

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Pledges and Promises

• The citizenship oath
• Official oath adopted in 1929
• Applicants for citizenship sign oath in a public
  ceremony
• Plan to update the oath in 2003 to simplify
  language was not approved

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Acquiring American Citizenship

• What do you believe are some of the rights and
  responsibilities of American citizenship?
• The U.S.C.I.S. has defined some responsibilities
  of citizenship (page 120)

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Myths and Misinformation

• Are Puerto Ricans American citizens?
• In a 2004 survey 41 of Americans correctly
  stated that Puerto Ricans are American citizens
• Puerto Ricans have been citizens since 1917
• Puerto Rico functions much like a state should
  it be granted statehood?

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Expatriation

• How to become a non-citizen
• Voluntarily through expatriation
• Involuntarily through a variety of actions (page
  123)

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Expatriation

• How to become a non-citizen
• Voluntarily through expatriation
• Involuntarily through a variety of actions (page
  123)

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Assimilation Competing Ideas

• Two competing ideas in assimilation
• 1. The melting pot
• 2. Multiculturalism

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Assimilation The Melting Pot

• The melting pot
• Leave behind old identity
• Adopt new, common American identity
• What are some positive or negative aspects of the
  melting pot approach to assimilation?

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Assimilation Multiculturalism

• Multiculturalism
• Emphasizes traditions from different cultures
• American culture benefits from diversity
• What are some positive or negative aspects of the
  multiculturalism approach to assimilation?

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Citizenship and Deliberative Democracy

• What are some expectations of citizens?
• Loyalty to country and government
• Respect of laws and fellow citizens
• Obligation to participate in political process

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Deliberation, Citizenship, and You

• Dual citizenship
• Dual citizenship prohibited until mid-twentieth
  century
• Four ways to claim dual citizenship (page 128)
• Do you believe dual citizenship should be
  allowed? Why or why not?

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Summary

• Citizenship has rights and responsibilities
• Defining citizenship in the U.S. has not always
  been clear-cut
• There have been and will continue to be debates
  over the assimilation of immigrants